The Miracles of Our Lady of La
Naval de Manila
October 9, 2016
by Gian Paolo Mayo
by Gian Paolo Mayo
Poster by Mac Norhen Bornales
Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of La Naval de Manila at Sto. Domingo Church. Students from the Dominican schools such as the Angelicum College, Letran College and the University of Santo Tomas, flocked together with other devotees of the Blessed Mother. The Our Lady of La Naval de Manila reminds us of our Spanish colonial past, with Catholicism as their greatest legacy. It is a reminder that it was the Catholic faith that built the Filipino nation and crafted our national identity.
The image of our Blessed Mother was sculpted in 1593 under Governor General Luis Perez Dasmarinas. After it was sculpted, she was put in the old Sto. Domingo chapel which was under the Dominicans. The image of our Blessed Mother was held intact at the centre of the Catholic faith in the islands. In 1646, the Dutch tried to claim the islands for their own growing empire. Before becoming an empire, the Dutch were under the Spaniards. Their old identity compelled the Dutch to be an empire that is against the Spanish Crown and the Catholic Church. It was political and economic rivalry that was stemmed by religion.
The Spaniards and the Dutch fought each other in five battles. It was the old galleons against the flotillas. The Spaniards equipped the trade ships for war while the Dutch fielded their mighty fleet of warships. Before each battle, the men visits the holy image for prayers and guidance. These men attributed their victories against the Dutch to our Blessed Mother. It was the said victories by Our Lady of La Naval that assured that the Dutch will never invade the islands again on a large scale operation. These victories were considered miracles by the men who fought the battles. It was declared miracolous by the Ecclesiastical Council in Cavite on April 9, 1662.
Another miracle that was attributed to our Blessed Mother was during World War 2. The Japanese Air Force bombed Manila before it was declared as an Open City. They struck moral blow on the civilian population by bombing buildings such as the Sto. Domingo Church and Convent. The image was held intact in a vault along with other important statues and the documents of the archives. After the bombing, the vault was salvaged by the Dominicans and saved the image with men armed with pistols and policemen. It was transferred at the Sulucan campus which is now the main campus of the university. The image was later transferred on October 1954 in the new Sto. Domingo chapel at Quezon City.
Our Lady of La Naval de Manila is an extraordinary symbol of the Filipino’s unwavering faith. It goes to show that despite the disasters that we experienced in the past, we are able to keep our faith strong with the intercession of our Blessed Mother. Thischaracteristic of the Filipino people, the resiliency as a nation, will help us overcome the next storms of our life and guide us towards a brighter future.
The image of our Blessed Mother was sculpted in 1593 under Governor General Luis Perez Dasmarinas. After it was sculpted, she was put in the old Sto. Domingo chapel which was under the Dominicans. The image of our Blessed Mother was held intact at the centre of the Catholic faith in the islands. In 1646, the Dutch tried to claim the islands for their own growing empire. Before becoming an empire, the Dutch were under the Spaniards. Their old identity compelled the Dutch to be an empire that is against the Spanish Crown and the Catholic Church. It was political and economic rivalry that was stemmed by religion.
The Spaniards and the Dutch fought each other in five battles. It was the old galleons against the flotillas. The Spaniards equipped the trade ships for war while the Dutch fielded their mighty fleet of warships. Before each battle, the men visits the holy image for prayers and guidance. These men attributed their victories against the Dutch to our Blessed Mother. It was the said victories by Our Lady of La Naval that assured that the Dutch will never invade the islands again on a large scale operation. These victories were considered miracles by the men who fought the battles. It was declared miracolous by the Ecclesiastical Council in Cavite on April 9, 1662.
Another miracle that was attributed to our Blessed Mother was during World War 2. The Japanese Air Force bombed Manila before it was declared as an Open City. They struck moral blow on the civilian population by bombing buildings such as the Sto. Domingo Church and Convent. The image was held intact in a vault along with other important statues and the documents of the archives. After the bombing, the vault was salvaged by the Dominicans and saved the image with men armed with pistols and policemen. It was transferred at the Sulucan campus which is now the main campus of the university. The image was later transferred on October 1954 in the new Sto. Domingo chapel at Quezon City.
Our Lady of La Naval de Manila is an extraordinary symbol of the Filipino’s unwavering faith. It goes to show that despite the disasters that we experienced in the past, we are able to keep our faith strong with the intercession of our Blessed Mother. Thischaracteristic of the Filipino people, the resiliency as a nation, will help us overcome the next storms of our life and guide us towards a brighter future.
Gian Paolo Mayo is a former President of the Pax Romana - AB Unit.
He is currently taking his Masters in History at the UST Graduate School
He is currently taking his Masters in History at the UST Graduate School